Brandenburg Gate

Brandenburg Gate (Deutsch. Brandenburger Tor) is a former city gate and one of the main symbols of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city center at the intersection of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which one formerly entered Berlin. One block to the north stands the Reichstag. The gate is the monumental entry to Unter den Linden, the renowned boulevard of linden trees which formerly led directly to the city palace of the Prussian monarchs. It was commissioned by King Frederick William II of Prussia as a sign of peace and built by Carl Gotthard Langhans from 1788 to 1791. The Brandenburg Gate was restored from 2000 to 2002 by the Stiftung Denkmalschutz Berlin (Berlin Monument Conservation Foundation). Today, it is considered one of Europe's most famous landmarks.

Design and history

The Brandenburg Gate consists of twelve Doric columns, six to each side, forming five passageways. Citizens originally were allowed to use only the outermost two. Atop the gate is the Quadriga, a chariot drawn by four horses driven by Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory.

The Gate's design is based upon the Propylaea, the gateway to the Acropolis in Athens, Greece and is consistent with Berlin's history of architectural classicism (first, Baroque, and then neo-Palladian). The Gate was the first "Athens on the River Spree" by architect Karl Gotthard von Langhans. The capital Quadriga was sculpted by Johann Gottfried Schadow.

The Brandenburg Gate's design has remained essentially unchanged since its completion even as it has played different political roles in German history. After the 1806 Prussian defeat at the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt, Napoleon took the Quadriga to Paris. After Napoleon's defeat in 1814 and the Prussian occupation of Paris by General Ernst von Pfuel, the Quadriga was restored to Berlin and Victoria's wreath of oak leaves was supplemented with a new symbol of Prussian power, the Iron Cross. The Quadriga faces east, as it did when it was originally installed in 1793.

When the Nazis ascended to power they used the Gate as a party symbol. The Gate survived World War II and was one of the few structures standing in the Pariser Platz ruins in 1945 (another being the Academy of Fine Arts). Following Germany's surrender and the end of the war, the governments of East Berlin and West Berlin restored it in a joint effort. Vehicles and pedestrians could again travel freely through the gate, until August 1961 when the Berlin Wall was erected. The wall and its fortified death strip ran just west of the gate, cutting off access from West Berlin and the "baby Wall" on the Eastern side rendered it off limits to East Berliners as well, until the wall's demolition in 1989.

In 1990, the Quadriga was removed from the gate as part of renovation work carried out by the East German authorities.

On December 21, 2000, the Brandenburg Gate was privately refurbished at a cost of six million dollars (U.S.).

On October 3, 2002, the twelfth anniversary of German Reunification, the Brandenburg Gate was once again reopened following extensive refurbishment.

The Brandenburg Gate is now again closed for vehicle traffic, and much of Pariser Platz has been turned into a cobblestone pedestrian zone.

Political history at the gate

]]

Шаблон:Listen In 1963, U.S. President John F. Kennedy visited the Brandenburg Gate. The Soviets hung large red banners across it to prevent him looking into the East. In the 1980s, decrying the existence of two German states, West Berlin mayor Richard von Weizsäcker said: 'The German question is open as long as the Brandenburg Gate is closed.' .

On June 12, 1987, U.S. President Ronald Reagan spoke to the West Berlin populace at the Brandenburg Gate, demanding the razing of the Berlin Wall. Addressing CPSU General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, Reagan said, Шаблон:Cquote

When the Revolutions of 1989 occurred and the Berlin Wall collapsed, the Gate symbolized freedom and the desire to unify the city of Berlin. On December 22, 1989, the Brandenburg Gate re-opened when Helmut Kohl, the West German chancellor, walked through to be greeted by Hans Modrow, the East German prime minister.

On July 12, 1994, U.S. President Bill Clinton spoke at the Gate about peace in post-Cold War Europe.

Location

Historical photographs

See also

  • Berlin Wall

References

Шаблон:Reflist

External links

Шаблон:Commons

Listed in the following categories:
Post a comment
Tips & Hints
Arrange By:
Jake Smith
7 July 2015
Viewed best if you walk from the Berliner Dom to the gate, as the long road lets you take in the gate from a distance. Come in early morning or dusk for the best views of this historic landmark.
Oh-Berlin.com
19 December 2012
Did you know? In 1806, Napoleon took the Quadriga - the horses and chariot statue - to Paris. Luckily, it was won back just 8 years later to go on top of the Brandenburg Gate, where it sits today.
Werther Veulemans
21 July 2015
I recommend you to come here after you have been partying whole night long, so nobody is here and you have a unique picture!
Griffin Stewart
2 September 2012
If you've made it to here be sure to go through the gate to the left for the Holocaust Memorial and Hitler's Bunker or to the right to go to the top of the parliament building.
Varun Kapoor
28 July 2015
Beauty at night! The Brandenburg gate and the nearby government buildings are a must do. While most of the attractions are open to visitors during the day, go at night for some stunning pictures
Minji Lee
2 April 2018
It’s one of those places you have to take a photo in front of, but other places around the city will give a more authentic feel for the history of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Load more comments
foursquare.com

Hotels nearby

See all hotels See all
Park Inn by Radisson Berlin Alexanderplatz

starting $460

H4 Hotel Berlin Alexanderplatz

starting $308

Motel One Berlin-Hackescher Markt

starting $84

Lux 11 Berlin Mitte

starting $660

St. Christopher's Apartments Berlin

starting $95

St. Christopher's Hostel Berlin

starting $48

Recommended sights nearby

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Pariser Platz

Pariser Platz is a square in the center of Berlin, Germany, situated

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Akademie der Künste

The Akademie der Künste, Berlin (Academy of the Arts, Berlin) is an

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (German: Denkmal für die

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Reichstag Dome

Reichstag Dome is a tourist attraction, one of the Scenic Lookouts in

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Reichstag building

The Reichstag building in Berlin was constructed to house the

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism

The Memorial to Homosexuals persecuted under Nazism in Berlin was

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Soviet War Memorial (Tiergarten)

The Soviet War Memorial (Tiergarten) is one of several war memorials

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Führerbunker

The Führerbunker (German, literally meaning 'shelter for the leader'

Similar tourist attractions

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Peace Arch

The Peace Arch is a monument situated on the Canada – United States b

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Gateway of India

The Gateway of India (Marathi: भारताचे प्रवेशद्वार)

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Wellington Arch

Wellington Arch, also known as Constitution Arch or (originally) the

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
India Gate

The India Gate is the national monument of IndiaШаблон:Citation neede

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Siegestor

The Siegestor (en: Victory Gate) in Munich, is a three-arched

See all similar places